Raptors, Masai Ujiri Talk Contract Extension
The Raptors and team executive Masai Ujiri are engaged in advanced discussions regarding a contract extension, Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com report. The two sides are nearing a deal, according to the duo’s sources, though the length and terms of the proposed extension are unknown at this time.
Ujiri still has nearly two years remaining on his current pact, a five-year, $15MM arrangement that he inked back in May of 2013. The 46-year-old had won the NBA Executive of the Year Award the prior season for his work with the Nuggets, with Denver having notched an impressive 57 wins that campaign. He has since built Toronto into an Eastern Conference power, with the team reaching the Conference Finals this past season.
Under Ujiri’s watch, Toronto has an overall regular season record of 153-93, plus, three consecutive playoff berths.
Pelicans To Ink Sacre To Training Camp Pact
The Pelicans have reached an agreement with unrestricted free agent center Robert Sacre, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The scribe classifies it as a training camp deal, meaning the arrangement is likely a minimum salary one that includes little or no guaranteed money.
Sacre, who played the last four seasons with the Lakers, had also drawn interest from the Timberwolves and Rockets, according to a report by Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
The 27-year-old appeared in 25 games for Los Angeles during the 2015/16 campaign, averaging 3.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per outing. Sacre’s shooting line on the season was .413/.000/.658.
Eastern Rumors: Noel, Celtics, Pistons, Horford
Jahlil Okafor has been the Sixers big man who has been the subject of the most trade rumors and speculation this offseason, but he hasn’t been the only frontcourt player in Philadelphia mentioned in those rumors. Teammate Nerlens Noel has also been considered a trade candidate, with the 76ers needing to clear a logjam up front and add a little more talent in their backcourt.
According to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, Noel hasn’t asked to be traded and nothing tangible is in the works at this point. However, multiple sources tell Blakely that the former Kentucky Wildcat would be “very open” to being dealt if the Sixers choose to go in that direction. One league source also informed Blakely that the Celtics continue to have interest in Noel.
The Sixers will be faced with a decision soon on Noel — they’ll essentially have to determine this offseason or next summer whether he’ll be a part of their long-term future. The 22-year-old is extension-eligible this year for the first time, and will reach restricted free agency in 2017 if he and the Sixers don’t come to an agreement on a new deal. Odds are that Noel probably isn’t going anywhere before the 2016/17 begins, but it’s still a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Although the Pistons‘ free agent moves the summer – with the exception of Andre Drummond‘s new deal – mostly involved adding complementary players, the team did have its sights set on one of the premier stars available. As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details, Detroit was one of a handful of clubs to land a meeting with Al Horford. Stan Van Gundy explains that the Pistons could have fit in Horford and still added a backup point guard, but the team was ultimately happy to end up with Jon Leuer and Boban Marjanovic after Horford went to Boston. “It’s like a power hitter being able to take a swing at the home run and let it all go, but end up not striking out,” Van Gundy said.
- In an interview with ESPN’s Marc Stein, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony suggested that if his professional basketball career ends without an NBA championship, he’ll still consider it a success if he walks away with three Olympic gold medals and an NCAA title. “I would be very happy walking away from the game knowing that I’ve given the game everything I have, knowing I played on a high level at every level: high school, college, won [a championship at Syracuse] in college and possibly three gold medals,” Anthony said.
- Paul George tells Sean Highkin of ProBasketballTalk that he’s excited about the Pacers‘ new direction, including the addition of veteran point guard Jeff Teague. “[Pacers president] Larry [Bird] has put it on display that he wants to get us back to the Eastern Conference [playoffs], see where we can take it from there,” George said.
Raptors Sign Drew Crawford, Yanick Moreira
After playing for the Raptors last month in Summer League action, guard Drew Crawford and center Yanick Moreira will join the team in training camp this fall. The Raptors announced today (via Twitter) that they have signed both Crawford and Moreira to contracts.
Crawford and Moreira each spent last season overseas, with Crawford playing for Bnei Hertzeliyya in Israel, while Moreira split time between UCAM Murcia (Spain) and Rouen (France). Crawford has also spent some time in the D-League, playing for the Erie BayHawks in 2014/15 after playing his college ball at Northwestern. Moreira spent two seasons at SMU before going undrafted last year.
Neither Crawford nor Moreira will head into camp with great odds of earning a regular-season roster spot for the Raptors. The club already has 14 players with guaranteed contracts, which ostensibly just leaves one opening available.
[RELATED: Toronto Raptors’ depth chart at RosterResource.com]
Besides Crawford and Moreira, Fred VanVleet and Jarrod Uthoff will also be competing for that open roster spot, and the Raptors – who still have two openings on their offseason roster – may bring in a couple more players to join that competition. With Delon Wright sidelined for several months as he recovers from shoulder surgery, VanVleet may be the frontrunner for that 15th spot.
Camp invitees who don’t make the Raptors’ regular-season roster could ultimately end up playing for Toronto’s D-League affiliate.
Decisions On 2017/18 Rookie-Scale Team Options
Teams hoping to extend players eligible for rookie-scale extensions this offseason must get those deals completed by October 31, as we’ve discussed in recent weeks. However, that’s not the only reason that Halloween is a notable date on the NBA calendar. October 31 is also the deadline for clubs to exercise team options on the rookie-scale contracts of former first-round picks.
All the players whose options will be exercised or declined by October 31 are already under contract for the 2016/17 season. Their teams will have to make a decision on whether they want to keep those players beyond the coming season, picking up or turning down team options for the 2017/18 campaign.
For players who signed their rookie-scale contracts in 2014 and have been in the NBA for two years, teams must decide on fourth-year options for 2017/18. For players who just signed their rookie deals last year, and only have one season of NBA experience under their belts, teams will already be faced with a decision on third-year options for ’17/18.
In most cases, these decisions aren’t hard ones. Rookie-scale salaries are so affordable – particularly with the salary cap up to $94MM+ this year – that it usually makes sense to exercise most of these team options, even if a player isn’t a key cog on the roster. And for those players who do have a significant role on a team’s roster, the decision is even easier — it’s not as if the Timberwolves would ever consider declining their options on Andrew Wiggins or Karl-Anthony Towns.
Still, we’ll wait for a trusted reporter, a player (or his agent), or a team itself to confirm that an option is indeed being exercised or declined, and we’ll track that news in this space. Listed below are all the rookie-scale decisions for 2017/18 team options that clubs must make by October 31. This list can be found at any time under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on our right-hand sidebar, and will be updated throughout the rest of the offseason, as teams’ decisions are reported and announced.
Here are the NBA’s rookie-scale team option decisions for 2017/18 salaries:
Atlanta Hawks
- None
Boston Celtics
- Marcus Smart (fourth year, $4,538,020): Exercised
- James Young (fourth year, $2,803,507): Declined
- Terry Rozier (third year, $1,988,520): Exercised
- R.J. Hunter (third year, $1,251,960): Waived
Brooklyn Nets
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (third year, $1,455,720): Exercised
- Chris McCullough (third year, $1,242,840): Exercised
Charlotte Hornets
- Frank Kaminsky (third year, $2,847,600): Exercised
Chicago Bulls
- Doug McDermott (fourth year, $3,294,994): Exercised
- Jerian Grant (third year, $1,713,840): Exercised
- Bobby Portis (third year, $1,516,320): Exercised
Cleveland Cavaliers
- None
Dallas Mavericks
- Justin Anderson (third year, $1,579,440): Exercised
Denver Nuggets
- Emmanuel Mudiay (third year, $3,381,480): Exercised
- Jusuf Nurkic (fourth year, $2,947,305): Exercised
- Gary Harris (fourth year, $2,550,055): Exercised
Detroit Pistons
- Stanley Johnson (third year, $3,097,800): Exercised
Golden State Warriors
- Kevon Looney (third year, $1,233,840): Exercised
Houston Rockets
- Clint Capela (fourth year, $2,334,528): Exercised
- Sam Dekker (third year, $1,794,600): Exercised
- Tyler Ennis (fourth year, $2,666,707): Declined
Indiana Pacers
- Myles Turner (third year, $2,569,920): Exercised
Los Angeles Clippers
- None
Los Angeles Lakers
- D’Angelo Russell (third year, $5,562,360): Exercised
- Julius Randle (fourth year, $4,149,242): Exercised
- Larry Nance Jr. (third year, $1,259,640): Exercised
Memphis Grizzlies
- Jordan Adams (fourth year, $2,410,057): Waived
- Jarell Martin (third year, $1,341,600): Exercised
Miami Heat
- Justise Winslow (third year, $2,705,040): Exercised
Milwaukee Bucks
- Jabari Parker (fourth year, $6,782,392): Exercised
- Rashad Vaughn (third year, $1,889,040): Exercised
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Andrew Wiggins (fourth year, $7,574,323): Exercised
- Karl-Anthony Towns (third year, $6,216,840): Exercised
- Zach LaVine (fourth year, $3,202,218): Exercised
- Adreian Payne (fourth year, $3,100,094): Declined
- Tyus Jones (third year, $1,397,400): Exercised
New Orleans Pelicans
- None
New York Knicks
- Kristaps Porzingis (third year, $4,503,600): Exercised
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Mitch McGary (fourth year, $2,430,982): Waived
- Cameron Payne (third year, $2,203,440): Exercised
- Josh Huestis (third year, $1,242,840): Exercised
Orlando Magic
- Aaron Gordon (fourth year, $5,504,420): Exercised
- Mario Hezonja (third year, $4,078,320): Exercised
- Elfrid Payton (fourth year, $3,332,340): Exercised
- C.J. Wilcox (fourth year, $2,183,328): Declined
Philadelphia 76ers
- Joel Embiid (fourth year, $6,100,266): Exercised
- Jahlil Okafor (third year, $4,995,120): Exercised
- Nik Stauskas (fourth year, $3,807,147): Exercised
Phoenix Suns
- T.J. Warren (fourth year, $3,152,931): Exercised
- Devin Booker (third year, $2,319,360): Exercised
Portland Trail Blazers
- Noah Vonleh (fourth year, $3,505,233): Exercised
- Shabazz Napier (fourth year, $2,361,360): Exercised
Sacramento Kings
- Willie Cauley-Stein (third year, $3,704,160): Exercised
San Antonio Spurs
- Kyle Anderson (fourth year, $2,151,704): Exercised
Toronto Raptors
- Lucas Nogueira (fourth year, $2,947,305): Exercised
- Bruno Caboclo (fourth year, $2,451,225): Exercised
- Delon Wright (third year, $1,645,200): Exercised
Utah Jazz
- Dante Exum (fourth year, $4,992,385): Exercised
- Trey Lyles (third year, $2,441,400): Exercised
- Rodney Hood (fourth year, $2,386,864): Exercised
Washington Wizards
- Kelly Oubre (third year, $2,093,040): Exercised
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Devyn Marble To Play In Greece
It has been an eventful summer so far for Devyn Marble, who has been involved in a handful transactions in the NBA and now overseas. According to international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link), Marble’s agent has confirmed that his client will head to Greece to join Aris Thessaloniki for the coming season.
A second-round pick in 2014, Marble was traded from the Nuggets to Orlando shortly after the ’14 draft. He spent two years with the Magic, but appeared in just 44 games, including 28 this past season. The former Iowa Hawkeye was sent to the Clippers last month in a deal for C.J. Wilcox, just before his 2016/17 salary became guaranteed. The Clips subsequently waived him, making him a free agent.
By signing with Aris Thessaloniki, Marble will join a team that last season featured American players such as former Marquette guard Jerel McNeal and former Florida State forward Okaro White. White has since signed with the Heat on a partially guaranteed contraact.
Poll: 2005 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 8)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t often allow for second chances, we at Hoops Rumors believe it’s fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
We’ve previously tackled the 2003 and 2013 NBA Drafts and the next one we’re tackling is 2005’s, the year that the Bucks nabbed big man Andrew Bogut with the No. 1 overall pick. That year’s draft class is generally viewed as one of the weaker ones in recent memory, though, there were quite a few second-rounders that year (Ersan Ilyasova, Monta Ellis, Lou Williams, Amir Johnson and Marcin Gortat) who have gone on to have very solid NBA careers.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be posting a series of reader polls that ask you to vote on the player whom you believe should have been selected with each pick. We’ll continue onward with the Knicks, who held the No. 8 pick that season. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for New York’s pick and check back Thursday night for the results, as well as for your chance to vote for whom the Warriors should have taken at No. 9. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. Also, if I fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and I’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.
Selections
- Bucks — Chris Paul [Actual Pick — Andrew Bogut]
- Hawks — Deron Williams [Actual Pick — Marvin Williams]
- Jazz — Monta Ellis [Actual Pick — Deron Williams]
- Hornets/Pelicans — Andrew Bogut [Actual Pick — Chris Paul]
- Bobcats/Hornets — Danny Granger [Actual Pick — Raymond Felton]
- Trail Blazers — David Lee [Actual Pick — Martell Webster]
- Raptors — Andrew Bynum [Actual Pick — Charlie Villanueva]
- Knicks — ? [Actual Pick — Channing Frye]
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Salary Cap Snapshot: Houston Rockets
With the free agent signing period winding down and teams looking ahead to the preseason, we at Hoops Rumors will be tracking the Salary Cap figures for each team around the league. These posts will be maintained throughout the season once financial data is reported. They will be located on the sidebar throughout the year, once all the teams’ cap figures have been relayed. You can always check RosterResource.com for up-to-date rosters for each franchise, with the Rockets’ team page accessible here.
Here’s a breakdown of where the Rockets currently stand financially:
Guaranteed Salary
- James Harden —$26,540,100 [Deal contains 15% Trade Kicker]
- Ryan Anderson —$18,735,364
- Eric Gordon —$12,385,665
- Trevor Ariza —$7,806,971
- Lou Williams —$7,000,000
- Patrick Beverley —$6,000,000
- Nene —$2,898,000
- Sam Dekker —$1,720,560
- Marcelo Huertas —$1,500,000 [Waived by team]
- Clint Capela —$1,296,240
- Pablo Prigioni —$1,050,961 [Waived by team]
- Montrezl Harrell —$1,045,000
- Bobby Brown —$680,534
- Chinanu Onuaku —$543,471
- Gary Payton II —$543,471 [Waived by team]
- Kyle Wiltjer —$543,471
- Bobby Brown —$253,759 [Waived by team]
- Isaiah Taylor — $250,000
- Troy Williams — $150,000
- Isaiah Taylor — $50,000 [Waived by team]
- Troy Williams — $31,969 [10-day contract (Mar 10)]
Total Guaranteed Salary= $91,030,536
Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]
Cash Received Via Trade: $75K received from Nets in K.J. McDaniels trade [Amount Remaining $3.425MM]
Payroll Exceptions Available
- Room Exception: $0 [Used to sign Nene]
Total Projected Payroll: $91,030,536
Salary Cap: $94,143,000
Estimated Available Cap Space: $3,112,464
Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000
Amount Below Luxury Tax: $22,256,464
Last Updated: 3/24/17
The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Frye, Larkin, Finch
Channing Frye penned a piece for the Player’s Tribune discussing his Finals run with the Cavs this past season, as well as his previous path throughout the league. Regarding the joy he felt upon joining Cleveland, Frye wrote, “When I got traded to the Cavs in February, I knew it was going to be special. I almost cried on the plane because I was getting the chance every player wants — a shot at the title. From the jump, I told myself that I was not gonna waste a day. I was not going to waste a moment. I was going to enjoy everything.”
Reflecting on his contributions to the Cavs’ culture, Frye relayed, “We’re one of the closest teams I’ve ever been on. We have text chains about all types of stuff. Everybody’s always talking [expletive] to each other, except we don’t really say too much to LeBron James. Sometimes I’ll say like, Bron, you weak. You only got 40? Then he’ll go out and try to drop 50.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Shane Larkin‘s deal with the Spanish club Baskonia will net him approximately $900K for next season, international journalist David Pick tweets.
- Stephen Curry, James, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant may be the favorites to win the MVP award next season, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders ran down his dark horse candidates for the honor. Among those who Taylor believes can snag the award in 2016/17 are Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Thomas and Damian Lillard.
- The Nuggets are closing in on a deal with former Rockets assistant coach Chris Finch that would see him join coach Michael Malone‘s staff, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Bosh, Baynes, Marks
It remains to be seen if Chris Bosh will be medically cleared to play for the Heat this season, but according to his teammates, the forward remains anxious to make his return to the court, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel relays. “Yeah, of course,” Tyler Johnson said regarding Bosh’s desire to suit up. “I mean, he was sitting out the same amount of time I was. I remember he was eager to get back last year. So we had those talks a lot last year. So I can only assume that he’s kind of itching to get back and play in actual games.”
Johnson also noted that the team will need to change its style from previous seasons, given all the new faces on the roster, Winderman adds. “We had a lot of veterans who had a lot of playoff experience, guys who had won multiple championships on the team,” Johnson said. “So, yeah, it’s definitely a big-time turnover in that aspect. But you can’t really doubt people who come in the gym to get better every day. So I think we’re going to have change our playing style just a little bit from where we were last year. But I’m excited for it.”
Here’s more from the East:
- In his look at how Nets GM Sean Marks has altered the franchise’s approach, Miles Wray of RealGM noted that the executive has placed higher value on veterans, intends to allow head coach Kenny Atkinson to lead the rebuilding program and is focusing on landing restricted free agents.
- The Sixers progress this season shouldn’t be measured by whether or not the team makes the playoffs or how many additional wins the squad racks up, but on how much the young roster’s play improves over the course of the campaign, writes Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The scribe notes that an improvement of 29 wins over 2015/16 would likely be need to snag a spot in the postseason this season.
- The Pistons signed Boban Marjanovic this offseason with the expectation that Aron Baynes would opt out of his deal for 2017/18 in order to land a more lucrative contract elsewhere, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes in response to a reader question asking the likelihood the big man would remain in Detroit beyond this season.